Portable computer with integral printer

ABSTRACT

A laptop computer has a base housing and an associated printer (2&#39;), an input keyboard (320, 328) and a screen (306,304). The base housing has a transport channel (3&#39;) for a printing medium which runs towards the rear from the operating side and extends essentially over the whole width of the base housing so that printing media of corresponding width (e.g. A4 format) can be printed. The printer (2) is designed as a flat-bed printer and preferably has a dot matrix printing head which can be moved in the lower housing part (4&#39;) transversely to the direction of motion (8) of the printing medium (line direction).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a laptop portable computer (PC) having a basehousing with an input keyboard, a screen and a printer arrangement.

With increasing miniaturization, some years ago it proved possible forthe first time to manufacture high-performance computers as desktopdevices or deskside devices so that they could be used as independentdevices at the workstation of a user; such computers were calledpersonal computers (PC). Continued development resulted in a furtherreduction of the dimensions and weight of personal computers, so that itwas possible to accommodate them in portable cases as so-calledportables. The latest development are what are called laptops; these arebriefcase-format personal computers with a low weight which can be usedin areas in which it has hitherto not been possible to utilize computersbecause they were too large and too heavy.

A severe drawback of previously known laptop computers is the fact thatthey have no printer, or only a very basic one. In particular, until nowit has not been possible to integrate a printer that can print, forexample, the current standard commercial A4 format in a laptop computer.With most laptop computers, therefore, it is only possible to connect aconventional printer, which greatly restricts the use of the computer asa mobile device.

A portable computer having a base housing with an input keyboard, ascreen and a printer arrangement in which a printer is directlyintegrated (EPSON HX-20) is also already known. With this known device,the input keyboard, the screen and the printer arrangement are combinedin a base housing, the front part of the top side of the device facingthe user being occupied by the input keyboard, while a printer, a screenand a microcassette station are arranged next to one another in the rearregion of the base housing. In this arrangement only approximately onethird of the device width is available for each of the aforementionedcomponents in each case. The printer used in the known laptop computerhas therefore a line width of only 24 characters, so that it cannot beused for a large number of computing tasks, in particular for wordprocessing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a laptop portablecomputer having a base housing with an input keyboard, a screen and aprinter arrangement which essentially has the same performance asconventional personal computers, but which in particular is also capableof printing paper in the conventional A4 format or similar formats,forms and the like.

While in the known solutions, given an essentially predetermined overallsize of the device (briefcase format), the printer is assigned the spacewhich remains free after accommodation of the input keyboard, the screenand if appropriate further components, according to the presentinvention the base housing is first and foremost adapted to the printingtasks, in that one of the principal dimensions of the base housing,preferably its width, is essentially utilized entirely for the width ofthe transport channel, so that formats corresponding to this width canbe printed. As a result of the selected arrangement of the transportchannel, a support surface which essentially corresponds to the basearea of the base housing is created for the printing medium.Accordingly, the printer arrangement is designed as a flat-bed printerwhich in conjunction with a suitable printing head is excellently suitedto the printing of forms, to the production of copies, etc.

The arrangement according to the invention allows a high-performanceprinter to be accommodated in the base housing, and its dimensions to bekept compact enough that the input keyboard and/or the screen can beplaced on the base housing, as units separate from the base housing, ina non-operating position, without the essentially predetermined overalldimensions of the laptop format being exceeded. This configurationconstitutes the transport configuration. For use, the input keyboard andthe screen are moved into an operating position.

In accordance with a preferred development of the invention, it isenvisaged that the input keyboard be mounted on the base housing so asto be pivotable between a non-operating position resting on the basehousing and an operating position arranged on the front operating sidethereof in front of the base housing. The dimensions of the inputkeyboard are selected in such a way that they do not project beyond theoutline of the base housing in the non-operating position of the inputkeyboard; at the same time, the actual keyboard is protected in itsnon-operating position since the key side rests on the top side of thebase housing.

In a similar manner, according to the invention the screen housing withthe screen can be pivoted between a non-operating position resting onthe base housing and a swung-up operating position. The arrangement issuch that when in the non-operating position the actual screen surfaceis resting on the housing, so that it is effectively protected in itstransport configuration; its dimensions are preferably selected so thatit does not project beyond the outline of the base housing in itsnon-operating position.

It is envisaged in another development of the invention that the inputkeyboard and/or the screen are designed to be detachable from the basehousing and can be set up independently of the latter, being detachablyconnected to the base housing via a connecting cable in each case. It istherefore possible to use the printer arrangement as an independentprinter even without the input keyboard and the screen. This purpose isserved by a further feature, which will be explained in greater detailfurther below, according to which the electrical and/or electroniccomponents for the computer part of the device can be inserted into thebase housing as a separate board; said board may be omitted if theprinter arrangement is used as an independent printer.

It is however also possible to detach only the input keyboard or onlythe screen from the base unit and to replace them with better units, inparticular for use at home or in the office.

The transport channel then preferably has a width that extendsessentially over the whole width of the base housing, so that the widthdimensions of the base housing are fully utilized to a large extent.According to the invention, the width of the transport channel is atleast approximately 21 cm, which corresponds to the width of an uprightA4 format.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the printerarrangement is a wire printer with a wire printing head mounted so as tobe movable transversely to the direction of motion of the printingmedium. Such wire printing heads permit the printing of copies, theprinting of multi-part forms, etc.

The base housing is preferably divided in the transport plane of theprinting medium so that a lower housing part and an upper housing partthat can be placed on, or lifted off from, the lower housing part isproduced, the lower housing part accommodating a first group of functioncomponents with the printing head which can be moved in the direction ofthe print lines, lower printing medium transport rollers, and a ribbonsystem, in each case with their drive apparatus, and there beingarranged in the upper housing part on top a second group of functioncomponents with a pressure abutment and with upper abutments for thelower transport rollers. In an especially favorable manner this divisionpermits access to individual function components for servicing, or tothe paper transport channel in the event of a paper jam. It is of coursealso possible to accommodate the printing head in the upper housing partand the pressure abutment in the rear part of the housing.

The abutments for the lower transport rollers are preferably designed asupper transport rollers, the lower and upper transport rollers beingassigned coupling means in each case which engage with one another whenthe upper housing part is put in place.

An essential measure for reducing the overall height of the base housingis to provide in the lower housing part an electrical or electronicdrive and control module arrangement for the printer, to whichessentially all electrical and electronic function components of theprinter are plug-connected. This produces a very compact arrangement ofsaid function components and creates a prerequisite for a particularlyflat design of the arrangement, as will be described in greater detailfurther below with reference to an exemplary embodiment. In addition, asa result of the direct plug-in connections of the function components tothe drive and control module arrangement, cable connections between thefunction components on the one hand, and between the latter and thedrive and control module arrangement on the other hand are dispensedwith, so that the assembly and any servicing work are also considerablyfacilitated.

As a further essential measure for obtaining a flat design, it isenvisaged that it be possible to place the ribbon cassette flat on thetop side of the lower housing part, in such a way that its flat top sideis flush with the base area of the transport channel; with thisarrangement the ribbon cassette also fits into a flat base housing in anideal manner. Moreover, the ribbon cassette also performs an additionaltask, in that it serves as a bed or platen for the printing medium, sothat a separate bed is not required, which can be utilized to reduce theoverall height.

According to a development of the invention, the top side of the lowerhousing part is formed by a cover plate lying essentially in the planeof the printing medium and having a recessed region for accommodatingthe ribbon cassette; the cover plate is provided with apertures for theprinting head, for lower transport rollers situated in front of orbehind the printing head in the insertion direction of the printingmedium, for the coupling means assigned to the transport rollers, andfor at least one drive journal for the ribbon cassette. In thisarrangement, according to the invention the aperture for the printinghead, which is formed by a slit extending at least over the width of theprint line, is arranged in a part of the recessed region to the rear inthe insertion direction of the printing medium and not covered by theinserted ribbon cassette. The apertures for the transport rollerssituated in front of the printing head are arranged according to theinvention in a region of the recess covered by the inserted ribboncassette, the ribbon cassette itself then also being provided withapertures for the passage of said transport rollers.

In a further development of the invention it is envisaged that theribbon cassette is equipped with lateral guide bars with respect to theinsertion direction of the printing medium for the lateral guidance ofthe printing medium, said lateral guide bars being flush in each casewith corresponding lateral bars arranged on the non-recessed region ofthe cover plate.

According to one development of the invention, the upper housing part isconnected to the lower housing part in such a way that it can be pivotedabout an axis of rotation transverse to the insertion direction of theprinting medium and parallel to the plane of the printing medium; springmeans are provided, by means of which the upper housing part ispretensioned in its position resting on the lower housing part. As aresult of the spring means, the upper abutments for the lower transportrollers are pressed against the lower transport rollers, or against aprinting medium, with a given, predetermined force, differentthicknesses of the printing medium being automatically taken intoaccount by the resulting different settings of the upper housing part.

As already described further above, the drive and control modulearrangement for the printer is designed as a flat circuit board arrangedabove the bottom of the lower housing part. It preferably occupies onlya part of the base housing, so that the base housing also has space forthe electrical and/or electronic components of the computer part. It isenvisaged according to the invention that a board with the electricaland/or electronic components of the computer part can be inserted intothe lower housing part, which board can be connected on the one hard tothe drive and control module arrangement of the printer and on the otherhand to the input keyboard, the screen, and if appropriate also toassociated peripheral devices. The board can preferably be inserted intoa board opening arranged in the rear side of the base housing. Accordingto a preferred development of the invention, the board comprises anessentially L-shaped rack in longitudinal section with a bottom wall anda backplane closing off the board opening, it being possible to slidethe bottom wall into guide rails formed on the side walls of the basehousing. The board carries one or more circuit boards essentiallyparallel to the bottom wall which can be plugged into the inside of thebackplane equipped with output connectors, there being arranged in eachcase on the board edge remote from the backplane edge contacts which canbe coupled with plug connectors arranged in the base housing when theboard is pushed in, said plug connectors in turn providing a connectionto the drive and control module arrangement of the printer, to the inputkeyboard and to the screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel,are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention,together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective, partially cutaway view of a base housingwith the printer arrangement when the upper housing part is raised andthe housing lid is open;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a portable computer using a basehousing in accordance with FIG. 1, with input keyboard and screen unitin the operating position;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the computer according to FIG. 1 withinput keyboard and screen unit in the non-operating position;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the computer according to FIG. 2 fromthe rear; and

FIG. 5 diagrammatically shows a longitudinal section through a computeraccording to FIG. 2 along the section line V--V.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

To facilitate comprehension, first of all the base housing 4 with theprinter 2 arranged therein is shown in FIG. 1 without input keyboard andscreen; the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 can also be used as anindependent printer. The housing lid 12 then has a simple hood-like formand does not have the depression provided in the housing lid 12' of FIG.2 for accommodating the screen 312.

The base housing illustrated in FIG. 1 and accommodating the printer 2essentially comprises a lower housing part 4 and an upper housing part 6which can be placed on, or lifted off from, the latter. The plane ofseparation between the lower housing part 4 and the upper housing part 6essentially coincides with the plane of the printing medium, that is tosay with the plane in which a printing medium is transported through thebase housing. The upper housing part 6 is mounted on the lower housingpart 4 so as to be pivotable about an axis of rotation 10 transverse tothe insertion direction 8 of a printing medium and parallel to the planeof the printing medium. The transport channel 3 is formed between lowerhousing part 4 and upper housing part 6.

A lid 12, likewise arranged on the lower housing part 4 so as to bepivotable about the axis of rotation 10, serves to cover and to closeoff the printer arrangement when the upper housing part 6 is resting onthe lower housing part 4.

The lower housing part 4 accommodates the drive and control electronicsand also the concomitant active function components of the printer, suchas the printing head 14 which can be moved in line directiontransversely to the insertion direction 8, lower transport rollers 16for transporting the printing medium and also drive means for the ribbontransport, of which only a drive journal 20 protruding through the coverplate 18 is illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the basic version of the printer illustrated in FIG. 1, the upperhousing part 6 essentially accommodates only inactive components, namelythe pressure abutments 22 extending over the entire length of the printline and also upper transport rollers 24 which have a driving connectionwith the lower transport rollers 16 via coupling means that will bedescribed later.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the cover plate 18 has a recessed region 18aat the front in the insertion direction 8, and a region 18b at the rearlying higher than that at the front. The ribbon cassette 26 is laid flaton the recess or on the recessed region 18a of the cover plate 18, twocentering pins 28 projecting out from the cover plate 18 engaging in twocentering holes (not shown) of the ribbon cassette 26 in order to alignand hold the latter in the correct position. The drive journal 20connected to a ribbon drive is connected to transport rollers arrangedinside the ribbon cassette 26 which effect the ribbon transport in aknown manner, which is therefore not explained in greater detail. Theribbon cassette 26 has in a likewise known manner two arms 26a and 26bprojecting forwards, between which the ribbon 30 is tensioned freelyoutside the ribbon cassette 26. When the ribbon cassette 26 is placed onthe cover plate 18, the ribbon 30, which is turned into the printingplane via suitable deflection means, runs along the track of theprinting head 14, so that a printing medium situated between the ribbon30 and the pressure abutment 22 can be printed.

The bottom 32, which covers at least the front part of the lower housingpart 4 from the bottom, is detachable. The circuit board 34accommodating the drive and control electronics arranged above thebottom 32 is thus readily accessible from below. The thickness d of theribbon cassette corresponds to the dimension D by which the region 18aof the cover plate 18 is recessed in relation to the region 18b. Whenthe ribbon cassette 26 is placed on the cover plate 18, its top side 36is accordingly flush with the region 18b of the cover plate 18 andserves as a bed surface for a printing medium to be drawn into theprinter.

An aperture 38 through which the tip of the printing head 14 protrudesis provided in the region of the transition from the recessed region 18ato the elevated region 18b of the cover plate 18. The aperture 38 hasthe form of a slit extending at least over the length of the print line.The dimensions of the ribbon cassette 26 are such that they do not coverthe region of the aperture through which the tip of the printing head 14protrudes, so that the printing head has access to the printing mediumtransported over and beyond the aperture 38. Separate apertures may beprovided for the lower transport rollers 16 situated in front of theprinting region. As can be seen from FIG. 1, however, in the presentexemplary embodiment the aperture 18 is so large that said lowertransport rollers 16 also protrude upwards through the aperture 38.Since the rear part of the ribbon cassette 26 in the insertion direction8 covers the region of the aperture 38 through which the lower transportrollers protrude, passage openings 40 are formed in the ribbon cassette26, through which openings the lower transport rollers 16 still passslightly so that for transporting they can engage with a printing mediumlying on the top side 36 of the ribbon cassette 26.

The ribbon cassette 26 is provided with lateral guide bars 42 for thelateral guidance of a printing medium lying on the top side 36 which arecontinued in lateral guides 44 assigned to the elevated region 18b.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the aperture 38 is extended beyond the lengthof the print line on its left side in FIG. 1, so that the printing head14 can proceed into a rest position lying outside the printing mediumwidth defined by the lateral guides 42 and 44. The aperture 38 iswidened in the region of the rest position so that the printing head 14is readily accessible for servicing purposes.

FIGS. 2 to 5 in each case show a complete computer according to theinvention using a base housing and printer in accordance with FIG. 1; ascan be seen from FIG. 2, the housing lid 12' is higher in its rearregion than the housing lid 12 in FIG. 1 and is provided with adepression 302 for accommodating the screen housing 306 in itsnon-operating position (see FIG. 3).

The computer illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises, inter alia, a printer 2'according to FIG. 1 accommodated in a base housing, with a lower housingpart 4' and also an upper housing part 6' which can be placed on, orlifted off from, the latter, but which cannot be seen in FIG. 2 becauseit is covered by a housing lid 12'. The plane of separation between thelower housing part 4' and the upper housing part 6' essentiallycoincides with the plane of the printing medium, that is to say with theplane in which a printing medium is transported. The upper housing part6' is mounted on the lower housing part 4' so as to be pivotable aboutan axis of rotation 10' transverse to the insertion direction 8 of aprinting medium and parallel to the plane of the printing medium. Thetransport channel 3' is formed between the lower housing part 4' and theupper housing part 6'.

The lid 12', likewise arranged on the lower housing part 4' so as to bepivotable about the axis of rotation 10', serves to cover and to closeoff the printer 2' when the upper housing part 6' is resting on thelower housing part 4'. The lid 12' can be locked with the lower housingpart 4' by means of latches 300. The interior structure of the printerhas been described with reference to FIG. 1 and does not thereforerequire explanation again.

A tray-shaped recess 302 which serves to accommodate a housing 306containing a flat screen 304 in the transport position of the PC (FIG.3) is situated in the top side of the lid 12'. The screen housing 306 islikewise mounted in the region of its bottom edge 308 so as to bepivotable about the axis of rotation 10'. In the non-operating position,the screen housing 306 can be locked with the lid 12' by means of afurther latch 314 arranged on the rear wall 310 thereof in the vicinityof the front edge of the housing 312. In its locking position, the latch314 engages with a latch catch 316 through an opening 318. Said catchalso holds the input keyboard housing 320 in its non-operating position(FIG. 3).

The input keyboard housing 320 has the form of a lectern falling awaytowards the user. It is pivotably connected to its rear wall 322 vialevers 325 engaging to the right and left of the ribbon cassette 26'into cut-outs 324 in the lower housing part 4'. The pivoting region issuch that the keyboard housing 320 is in the operating position (FIG. 2)in front of the lower housing part 4', its rear wall 322 lying, forexample, directly in front of the front wall 328 and parallel thereto.In the non-operating position, on the other hand, the keyboard housing320 rests on the printer 2', to be precise in such a way that the keysurface 328 is facing the lectern-shaped front part 330 of the lid 12',while the top side 332 of the keyboard housing 320 covers the ribboncassette 26' (FIG. 3).

The keyboard housing 320 can be released from the levers 326 by means ofpressure on the release buttons 336 arranged in the side walls 334thereof and thus can be used in any position relative to the PC 1, andcan even be removed entirely after disconnection of the connectionlines, as has been described.

In the embodiment of the printer 2' preferred for use in the PC, thecircuit board 34' carrying the drive and control module arrangement isarranged in the front region of the housing part 4'. The detachablebottom 32' also essentially covers only the region occupied by thecircuit board 34'.

The rear side of the lower housing part 4' is open. A board 342, whichconsists of an L-shaped rack 344, can be inserted from the rear into theopening 340. When the board 342 is pushed into the lower housing part 4'(FIG. 5), the lower L-leg 346 joins up with the bottom 32' so that thebottom side of the lower housing part 4' is fully closed off. Theupright second L-leg 348 closes off the rear opening 340.

Arranged parallel to the lower L-leg 346 thereof on the rack 344 is acircuit board 350 which carries the electronic assemblies such as CPU,memory and interface logic required for a PC. At least one further board352 carrying electronic assemblies for optional functions, such as theconnection to a telecommunications device or a computer network, can beplugged into said board 350 via a backplane bus connector (not shown).

Also provided on the rack 344 is a power supply unit 354, batteries 356for non-mains operation of the PC, a hard disk drive 358 and at leastone slide-in module 360 for a plug-in chip card 362 containinginformation-storing memory. It is also possible to fit a diskette driveinstead of at least one chip card slide-in module. A flap 368 is locatedin a side wall 364 of the lower housing part 4'; access to the chip card362 or the diskette is possible after said flap has been opened(indicated by dot-dashed lines in FIG. 2).

The lower one of the boards 350, 352 is electrically connected to thecircuit board 34' via an edge connector coupling 365 (indicated bydot-dashed lines in FIG. 4).

The upright leg 348 of the rack 344 carries a connection socket 366 fora power cable, an on-switch 368 as well as ports 370 for connectingperipheral devices.

The invention is not limited to the particular details of the apparatusdepicted and other modifications and applications are contemplated.Certain other changes may be made in the above described apparatuswithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention hereininvolved. It is intended, therefore, that the subject matter in theabove depiction shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

What is claimed:
 1. A portable laptop computer, having a base housingwith an input keyboard, a screen and a printer, comprising:the basehousing having a through transport channel which extends essentiallyparallel to a bottom side of the base housing and has a widthcorresponding essentially to a length of one edge of the base housingfor the passage of a printing medium, a printing head being arranged onone side of a transport plane and a pressure abutment of the printerbeing arranged on the other side; the base housing being divided in thetransport plane into a lower housing part and an upper housing part thatcan be placed on, or lifted off from, the lower housing part, the lowerhousing part accommodating a first group of function components with aprinting head which can be moved in the direction of print lines, lowerprinting medium transport rollers, and a ribbon system, with theirrespective drive apparatus, and wherein in the upper housing part on topa second group of function components with a pressure abutment and withupper abutments for the lower transport rollers is arranged; the lowerhousing part having an electrical or electronic drive and control modulearrangement for the printer, to which substantially all electrical andelectronic function components of the printer are plug-connected; aribbon cassette having a ribbon, said ribbon cassette positioned flat onthe top side of the lower housing part, in such a way that a flat topside of the ribbon cassette is flush with a plane of the printingmedium, transport rollers arranged in the ribbon cassette being coupledto at least one drive journal protruding through a bed surface for theribbon cassette; and at least one of the input keyboard and the screenbeing units which can be adjusted between a non-operating position lyingagainst the base housing and an operating position.
 2. The portablecomputer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ribbon cassette is equippedwith lateral guide bars with respect to an insertion direction of theprinting medium for lateral guidance of the printing medium.
 3. Theportable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input keyboard ispivotably mounted on the base housing between a non-operating positionresting on the base housing above the transport channel and an operatingposition arranged on a front operating side thereof in front of the basehousing.
 4. The portable computer as claimed in claim 3, wherein thescreen is pivotably mounted on the base housing at the rear side of thebase housing remote from the front operating side, the screen beingpivotable between a non-operating position folded down forwards onto thebase housing and a swung-up operating position, in the non-operatingpositions the screen lying on a back portion of the base housing and theinput keyboard lying on a front portion of the base housing, the screenand input keyboard lying side-by-side such that outer surfaces of thescreen and input keyboard form a substantially continuous surface. 5.The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of theinput keyboard and the screen are detachable from the base housing andare remotely operable from the base housing, each of them beingconnectable to the printer via a detachable connecting cable.
 6. Theportable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transport channelhas a width that extends substantially over a whole width of the basehousing.
 7. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein thewidth of the transport channel is at least 21 cm.
 8. The portablecomputer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printer arrangement is awire printer, and wherein the printing head is a wire printing headmounted such that the printing head is movable transversely to thedirection of motion of the printing medium.
 9. The portable computer asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the abutments for the lower transportrollers are upper transport rollers, each of the lower and uppertransport rollers having coupling means, the coupling means of the uppertransport rollers engaging the coupling means of the lower transportrollers when the upper housing part is put in place.
 10. The portablecomputer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ribbon cassette is equippedwith lateral guide bars with respect to an insertion direction of theprinting medium for lateral guidance of the printing medium.
 11. Theportable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper housing partis connected to the lower housing part such that the upper housing partcan be pivoted about an axis of rotation transverse to an insertiondirection of the printing medium and parallel to the plane of theprinting medium.
 12. The portable computer as claimed in claim 11,wherein the upper housing part is pretensioned in its position restingon the lower housing part by spring means.
 13. The portable computer asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the portable computer further comprises aboard with electrical and/or electronic components of a computer partthat is insertable into the lower housing part, which board isconnectable on the one hand to the drive and control module arrangementof the printer and on the other hand to the input keyboard, the screen,and optionally also to associated peripheral devices.
 14. The portablecomputer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the portable computer furthercomprises a board opening the rear side of the base housing and whereinthe board is insertable into the board opening in the rear side of thebase housing.
 15. The portable computer as claimed in claim 13, whereinthe board has a substantially L-shaped rack in longitudinal section witha bottom wall and a backplane closing off the board opening, the bottomwall engaging into guide rails formed on side walls of the base housing.16. The portable computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the boardcarries at least one circuit board substantially parallel to the bottomwall, said at least one circuit board being pluggable into an inside ofthe backplane equipped with output connectors, and there beingrespectively arranged on a board edge of the board remote from thebackplane edge contacts which are coupled with plug connectors arrangedin the base housing and/or on a circuit board means in the base housingwhen the board is pushed in.
 17. The portable computer as claimed inclaim 13, wherein the board has an interface connector for plugging in amass storage card.
 18. The portable computer as claimed in claim 17,wherein a closable opening is formed in a side wall of the base housingfor insertion and removal of the mass storage card.
 19. A portablelaptop computer, having a base housing with an input keyboard, a screenand a printer, comprising:the base housing having a through transportchannel which extends essentially parallel to a bottom side of the basehousing and has a width corresponding essentially to a length of oneedge of the base housing for the passage of a printing medium, aprinting head being arranged on one side of a transport plane and apressure abutment of the printer being arranged on the other side; thebase housing being divided in the transport plane into a lower housingpart and an upper housing part that can be placed on, or lifted offfrom, the lower housing part, the lower housing part accommodating afirst group of function components with a printing head which can bemoved in the direction of print lines, lower printing medium transportrollers, and a ribbon system, with their respective drive apparatus, andwherein in the upper housing part on top a second group of functioncomponents with a pressure abutment and with upper abutments for thelower transport rollers is arranged; at least one of the input keyboardand the screen being units which can be adjusted between a non-operatingposition lying against the base housing and an operating position; aboard with electrical and/or electronic components of a computer partinsertable into the lower housing part, which board is connectable onthe one hand to a drive and control module arrangement of the printerand on the other hand to the input keyboard, the screen, and optionallyalso to associated peripheral devices; and the board having asubstantially L-shaped rack in longitudinal section with a bottom walland a backplane closing off the board opening, the bottom wall engaginginto guide rails formed on the side walls of the base housing.
 20. Theportable computer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the board carries atleast one circuit board substantially parallel to the bottom wall, saidat least one circuit board being pluggable into an inside of thebackplane equipped with output connectors, and there being respectivelyarranged on a board edge of the board remote from the backplane edgecontacts which are coupled with plug connectors arranged in the basehousing and/or on a circuit board means in the base housing when theboard is pushed in.
 21. The portable computer as claimed in claim 19,wherein the board has an interface connector for plugging in a massstorage card.
 22. The portable computer as claimed in claim 21, whereina closable opening is formed in a side wall of the base housing forinsertion and removal of the mass storage card.